OLAP API Client Software

The OLAP API client software is a set of Java packages containing classes that implement the programming interface to Oracle OLAP. An application calls the methods on these classes for discovering, querying, processing, and retrieving data.

When a Java application calls methods on OLAP API Java classes, it uses the OLAP API client software to communicate with Oracle OLAP, which resides within an Oracle database instance. The communication between the OLAP API client software and Oracle OLAP is provided through Java Database Connectivity (JDBC), which is a standard Java interface for connecting to relational databases. For more information about JDBC, see the Oracle9i JDBC Developer's Guide and Reference.

Software Configurations

An application that uses the OLAP API client software (that is, calls methods in OLAP API classes) can reside on a single computer, or it can be divided into separate parts on two different computers. For example, the end-user portion can be separate from the portion that makes OLAP API calls. In this case, software on three computers could be involved.

For information about possible configurations, see the Oracle9i OLAP User's Guide.

Requirements for Using the OLAP API Client Software

To use the OLAP API classes as you develop your application, import them into your Java code in the standard way. When you deliver your application to users, include the OLAP API classes with the application. You must also ensure that users can access JDBC.

In order to develop an OLAP API application, you must have the Java Development Kit (JDK) from Sun Microsystems. Users must have a Java Runtime Environment (JRE) whose version number is compatible with the JDK you used for development.

For information about Java version requirements and about setting up the OLAP API client software, see Appendix A, "Setting Up the Development Environment". For detailed information about the OLAP API classes and methods, see the OLAP API Javadoc and subsequent chapters of this guide.